Ayodhya Airport

Ayodhya Airport, officially known as Maryada Purushottam Shri Ram International Airport is a flying school and National airport in Ayodhya city between the NH 28 and NH 96 at Sultanpur Naaka in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Meant to serve Ayodhya and adjacent city of Ayodhya. The State Government signed a memorandum of understanding with the Airports Authority of India (AAI) in February 2014 for the development of the airport.

There was constant effort by aviation ministry to transfer the Ayodhya Airport to AAI. Union Civil aviation minister Mr. Ajit Singh was constantly seeking permission from Uttar Pradesh government to hand over the airport to AAI so that scheduled carrier planes could be operable at Ayodhya Airport consequently the cabinet of Uttar Pradesh has granted the permission and handed over the airport to AAI.

In an endeavour to provide air connectivity to different parts of India, development of low-cost airports is the most important component. Instructions have been issued to AAI to identify the most suitable low cost model for development of smaller airports and to develop airports in the smaller cities based on this mode.

The existing airstrip's runway was 1,500 metres (4,900 ft) long and 30 metres (98 ft) wide, which is only just large enough for nine-seater aircraft. The Airport Authority of India sent a note to the state government recommending that they draft a master plan to acquire at least 284 acres (115 ha) more land so that the airport can handle 200-seater Airbus A321 aircraft.

In November 2018 state government decided to acquire more than 280 acres of land around the airstrip and widen it to allow the landing of larger aircraft. The projected runway would be 2,500 metres (8,200 ft) long and 45 metres (148 ft) wide, with a 100-150 m wide set-off area each side of the runway. However, in June 2022, the project in-charge said that the construction would be done in two phases. The length of the runway would be 2,250 metres in the first phase while in the second phase, its length would be increased to 3,500 metres.

The Airport's terminal is 45% and the runway is 45% completed, and is on track for completion in December 2023.

folder_open  Airports in Uttar Pradesh